Detroit Jebus its getting bad...

[Moparjim]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48482538

Anyone else see this? Some of the housing figures mentioned are staggering, not to mention the murders...

Youtube videos of some of the neighborhoods are insane as well.

[Flicktitty]

But it's hard to keep up. About a quarter-million people moved out of Detroit between 2000 and 2010, leaving just over 700,000 residents in a city built for 2 million. thats pretty crazy.

[Prince Valiant]

But it's hard to keep up. About a quarter-million people moved out of Detroit between 2000 and 2010, leaving just over 700,000 residents in a city built for 2 million. thats pretty crazy.Therein lies the crux of it. People are freely choosing to move out.

Most of that 250,000 (if accurate) lost in the last decade...but if one looks at the regional numbers, one would notice it doesn't change nearly as drastically. So b/w 1990 and 2000 the population of detroit went from 1.3 million to 1.0 million...yet the regional population only went down ~10,000...so less than 1%, despite loosing 30% population within the city limits of detroit. And during that time, the overall population of michigan went up some 30,000++.

Many would love to blame the auto industry for the debasement of detroit, and there is some merit to the complaint...the big 3 definitely overinvested in one area, so their loss is the area's loss. But businesses are businesses. If given the decimation and loss of the area, one would think that the extremely low cost of land would contribute mightly to a business looking to invest/expand in an area...lower investment cost = lower risk to the investor...but what keeps them away? High taxes? An un-hospitable business climate? Planning commisions/county/city boards that that treat their districts as fiefdoms for them to administer? Ineffectual policing? Poorly trained/low skill workforce? Poor schools and undesireable education system? Detroit suffers ALL these things...regardless of what the state of michigan offers in terms of business incentive, there doesn't seem to be much they can do to induce businesses to locate in detroit.

Though in the past, detroit loss didn't affect the region/state population too much, this year the state lost population...not nearly as much as Detroit did, but that means that while the rest of the state did grow, it's not enough to offset the loss of population Detroit is loosing.

Maybe we should sell Detroit to Canada? Or pay them to take it?

[BOSS LX]

I want to go explore!

[wrath]

Detroit is actually bringing in lots of businesses. But it doesn't put a dent in the problem. They are mostly coming because of incredible infrastructure and everything being cheap as hell. Most of it is being exploited by crazies like Dan Gilbert. Compuware probably started it but Rock Financial/Quicken Loans goofball (Dan Gilbert) is probably the one making the news now (not only has he moved all of his businesses downtown but he's renting space to other businesses). Blue Cross/Blue Shield recently moved downtown also.

Millennials are moving to Detroit in droves. Midtown, Corktown, et cetera are being filled by young people and there is a housing shortage in the area. There are an insane amount of artists in Detroit. There are entire factories that have been converted to 100+ private studios EACH.

Detroit has been shrinking for a long time but the 'burbs have been more than making up for the slack. Once the grocery stores started closing everyone started leaving Detroit.

One of the things that has been stopping businesses from moving back to Detroit is that there is limited housing. It's hard to compete with the suburbs when it comes to affordable and suitable housing. The talent is cheap enough now and the cost of living is less than average, even in the 'burbs. There is plenty of incentive for businesses to move to Metro Detroit.

Canada is paying for a bridge between Detroit and Ontario so I'm thinking Canada sees Detroit as fairly profitable.

[Todd Z]

I was there in June, Words can't describe how bad it is. My thoughts were that it's hard to believe this is an American city.

[GTSLOW]

I want to go explore!

Seriously I would love to go check out Detroit. We'd just need lots of firearms.

[wrath]

Detroit isn't scary, unless you drive a Lexus, wear a salmon polo shirt, and have a Romney sticker on the bumper. Your car will get stolen though, unless it's a Subaru.

Saginaw, now that's a scary place. Not only will they shoot anyone, but they've got enough practice to kill two people with one bullet.

[That_Guy]

My father owns a duplex in tosa that is being rented out by a family from Detroit. They both worked for gm and when they were laid off they up and moved to Wisconsin. They left there house that was paid in full to come here. The husband told me he pays his tax bill for a house he doesn't live in and isn't even sure if its still standing.

That is a pretty crazy thought.

[BR3W CITY]

I get the move, but still paying tax on a non-standing home?
Couldn't you just get HOI, and then leave it to collect ins if it falls down?


I'm down for a heavily armed trip to detroit.
Shiiiiiiit. MI has medical weed, I'm soooooo down for a trip.